Lewis L Mertz, farmer and stock raiser, Sec 12, P O Mineral Ridge, was born in Bavaria, Germany, on February 1847, and at nine years of age he came to the United States wit a widowed mother, who located at Rochester, New York, he here became an apprentice at the machinist trade at twelve years of age, heeding his country’s call for troops in the late rebellion, he enlisted (when he became old enough) in March 1863, in Battery L, First New York light artillery, and served his country till the close of the war, after which he followed his trade of engineering throughout the oil regions of Pennsylvania, he then went to Keithsburg, Mercer county, Illinois, and engaged in the furniture business with his brother in the fall of 1865, in 1867 he was engaged with a surveying party on the U P R R, after this he went to Helena, Montana, and there had charge of the machinery for the Columbia Mining Company, he then went to Chicago and engaged with a furniture manufactory, having charge of their steam heating apparatus and machinery, after serving his connection in this regard, he came to this county in 1874, and engaged in his present occupation with a farm of 320 acres, he found a wife in the person of Miss Jennette Keith, of Keithsburg, Illinois, whom he married at that place in 1871, the compliment of their family circle are four children: Sibyl, Jacob, Willie, and Minnie